The Garden of Hesperides
by ScarletNightmares
Summary: Bella Swan, an adopted daughter with a mysterious origin, never felt like she belonged anywhere, be it in school or even with her loving adoptive parents. On her eighteenth birthday, however, she finds out that she is Princess of the Garden of Hesperides.
1. Summary

Bella Swan, an adopted daughter with a mysterious origin, never felt like she belonged anywhere, be it in school or even with her loving adoptive parents. Her strange clipped accent, coupled with her fiery crimson hair tone has made her stick out like a sore thumb everywhere she goes. The fact that she has the ability to communicate with plants definitely did not help her case.

On her eighteenth birthday, she finally realizes who she truly is - Princess of the Garden. She finds out that her blood aunt had sent her away when she was merely a baby without the King's and Queen's knowledge in order to claim the throne when the time is right. Thus, with the help of her guardian Jacob, she has to make the crucial decision on whether she wants to be a normal human, or fulfil her destiny as the Princess of the Garden and get herself plunged into the territory of danger. In the process of it all, she realizes the harsh reality that perhaps even the ones closest to her cannot be trusted...


	2. Chapter 1

_This place is scorching!_

_"Huh?" The little girl spun around, letting her Barbie doll fall onto the parquet floor that laid the foundation of her pretty pink room. Her eyes wide with fear, she scooted to the corner of her room._

_Wait… You can hear me?_

_"Y-Yes," The little girl answered hesitantly, looking in all directions wildly and yet seeing no soul in sight._

_I'm over here, near the window!_

_Her eyes travelled to the pastel pink window that adorned the side of her room. Right next to it was a potted plant of a species she did not know. "The plant?" The fact that she was asking such a ridiculous question dawned on her and she laughed inwardly._

_Yes! This is so intriguing! What's your name?_

_The girl furrowed her eyebrows for she knew not what the word 'intriguing' meant. "My name is Bella. What's yours?"_

_I don't have a name, but you can call me Aloe Vera!_

_"Amora," Bella voiced, unable to properly pronounce the word._

_Hahaha, I guess you can call me that too. I hope we can become best of friends! Oh, by the way… It's rather hot here. Could you move me a little away from the window? I'd really appreciate it._

_"O-Okay," Bella gingerly stood up and made her way clumsily towards the plant. Grabbing the clay pot in between her tiny fingers, she heaved it up and placed it onto her mini study table, where Amora was to stay._

_**~~~ Thirteen Years Later ~~~**_

_Good morning, Bella_

_"Morning, Amora!" I responded, shooting a grin at my Aloe Vera plant as I sprinkled water over it with a tiny watering can. Still in my pajamas, I bit back a yawn._

_Happy birthday!_

Oh, that's right. Sighing, I placed the watering can back onto my wooden desk.

_What's wrong?_

"Oh, it's nothing much. It's just that I'm not looking forward to school, as usual." I muttered. "The guys are probably going to bully me twice as much if they knew."

_Don't fret too much. I'm always here for you!_

A smile made its way onto my face. "Thanks Amora. See you later then!" Walking over to my modest closet, I hastily grabbed a set of my Lucent Academy uniforms and went to freshen up and change.

Trudging down the staircase to the dining room, my adoptive parents, Leah and David, came up to me and handed me a wrapped gift. "Happy 18th birthday Bella," Leah gushed, planting a light kiss onto my forehead. David gave me a warm smile and beckoned me to open the present. With utmost care, I tore at the ends of the wrapping paper, revealing a thin black box. Placing the wrapping paper on a nearby chair, I lifted the cover of the box and a pair of intricate ear studs greeted me.

"Hope you like it," Leah's chirpy voice caused me to chuckle.

"I do! Thank you so much!" I gave my parents a hug and grabbed my bag, bracing myself for yet another day of purgatory, also known as school.

"What's up, crimson?" Zach, the notorious bully in my school, called out to me. Ignoring his remark, I continued walking to class, nonchalant to the snide remarks my schoolmates made about me. Born with an unusual clipped accent, coupled with an even more weird fiery crimson hair tone, I was used to being ostracized and different compared to others.

"Birthdays," I muttered under my breath, struggling to balance the books resting in my arms and slamming the locker shut. "I don't care about them." Despite what came out of my mouth, nevertheless – I felt a twinge of melancholy for nobody, not even my close friends, remembered my special day. "I should have gotten used to this by now." Lugging my schoolbag, I lethargically dragged myself out of the school grounds, making my way towards the desolated dirt path that led to the place I called home. Don't get me wrong – I did love the home I was currently in. However, I never felt like I was a part of the Millers, considering the fact that both my parents were brunettes. In every family picture we took, I was always the odd one out, my hair colour striking. Who knew why they picked me when I was in the orphanage.

"Bella," a velvety voice called out from nearby. Not recognizing the voice and thinking that it was probably another one of the school bullies who never let me go through a day of peace, I continued walking.

A cold hand clutched at my arm from behind roughly and I bit back a scream. Slowly, I turned to face the stranger who had randomly grabbed me just like how Mr Whitlock, a teacher in my school, would randomly rip someone's worksheet for no apparent reason.

Brown curls adorned the young man's head, and his tanned features were finely chiseled, as though carved by a master sculptor. An amused smile was tugging at the corner of his lips. His eyes. Sky blue orbs that captured the light of sun. Yet his eyebrows were furrowed and he looked rather frustrated.

"Bella," he breathed. For a moment, a wild thought that he had Down Syndrome or a speech disability due to his lack of vocabulary streaked past my mind. "I've been looking for you," Okay he did not have Down Syndrome.

"Come with me now," he offered his hand to me. Snapping out of my trance, my eyebrows furrowed. "Who are you?"

He tilted his head to the side and gave me a reassuring smile before answering, "I am your guardian, Jacob."

Suspicious if this was merely a dubious person doing dubious things, I crossed my arms.

"Just follow me," he implored, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I promise that no harm will befall you."

"Fine," I answered curtly, dropping my backpack on the ground and taking Jacob's hand. "Where are we going?"

"To the Garden of Hesperides," He answered, and a massive light overcame us, forcing me to close my eyes.

When the light seemed to have dimmed, my eyes fluttered open, and I felt like I was in a dream. All around me was lush greenery. The chirping of insects and the songs of birds could be heard faintly in the distance. There I stood, letting the calm rush of the waterfall nearby entrap me in its melody. The majestic trees seemed to sparkle, and at that moment, life seemed to course through my veins. I had never felt so alive.

After eighteen years of life, I finally felt like I belonged.

The freshness of the air tickled my nostrils lightly as a cool zephyr caressed my crimson locks. Relishing in the calmness of the surroundings, I heard the trees calling out to me.

_Princess Bella. Princess Bella. We have been awaiting your return._

"Princess?" I wondered aloud, turning towards Jacob in hopes that he could explain what was going on.

"You will understand later," He replied, placing his right hand in the small of my back while walking me gently through the leaf-splayed path until a majestic palace made out of stone came into the midst of our vantage points.

"When you were merely a defenseless baby, someone unknown kidnapped you and sent you to an unknown land. The King and Queen were filled with vexation and they sent out the elite soldiers to scout for you, but to no avail. However, on this day, which was meant to be your coronation, I managed to find you as your innate power is at its peak," Jacob explained, looking far into the distance.

"Are my blood parents still alive?" I could not help but ask.

"Yes. In fact," He grinned. "I'm bringing you to them."

Waiting patiently in the hall where I was supposed to meet my parents, my heart was filled with doubts and uncertainty. What was going on? Who exactly am I? What am I doing here? What-

"B-Bella? Is that truly you?" A gentle and mellifluous voice echoed around the large hall. A sense of nostalgia swept through me. Clad in a simple sundress, a young woman around the age of thirty came into view. He hair was, similar to mine, fiery red. Before I even had time react, she came over and embraced me tightly, her eyes brimming with tears. As we pulled apart, she wiped away a few stray tears and held both of my hands. "I am your mother, Renee."

I, too, started to tear up as a distant memory of the same voice singing lullabies to me infiltrated my mind. So much time had passed since then, and I felt a twinge of lamentation as there was just so much time we had to make up for.

"Come, your father must be waiting!" She uttered cheerily, beckoning us towards a large door nearby.

Tears of joy were shed that day, and Jacob spent most of the time standing awkwardly in a corner, not wanting to ruin the special moment, until the King dragged him in for a massive group hug.

"There are so many things that we wish to tell you," King Charlie said. "However, today must have been a tiring day for you. Jacob, please escort her back. We'll continue this conversation another day."

Jacob bowed respectfully in comply and I bid farewell to my parents. Stepping outside into the cool breeze, he picked up a shimmery leaf from the ground. "Here, take this," he spoke as he placed the leaf gingerly into the folds of my palm. "Whenever you desire to return, hold it tightly and in your mind, think of where you want to go and it will bring you there." With a final smile, he kissed my forehead lightly and whispered in my ear. "We hope to see you soon, princess."


	3. Chapter 2

I bolted upright and found myself in my bed, my schoolbag placed on the parquet floor next to my study table. Judging by the brilliant sunlight streaming in from the window, I deduced that it was currently late afternoon.

"Was that all a dream?" I rhetorically asked, running my fingers through my hair as I recalled how the breeze in the Garden of Hesperides felt against my crimson locks.

"Oh!" My eyes widened as my clenched palm relaxed, a shimmery leaf pelting onto my lap. "This is surreal." Still trying to figure out what reality was, I failed to notice a tall figure making its way towards me.

"By the way," Jacob suddenly came into view, giving me the fright of my life and causing me to jump slightly on the soft mattress I was currently on. "We'll be initiating your training starting from today, so please get ready." He gave me a thumbs-up sign before disappearing into thin air. In a daze from the utter randomness, a little part of me hoped that he would not suddenly appear while I was in the bath.

After a few minutes of silence, I managed to choke out a, "This is madness," before groggily standing up and carefully placing the leaf onto a wooden shelf.

Bella! Is it really true that you're Princess of the Garden?

"H-How did you know?" I gasped.

Jacob told me!

Said person miraculously appeared again and smirked. "Amora and I shared several secret stories about your sleeping habits," he smugly announced, gaining a glare from me instantaneously.

I'm sorry Bella! I didn't mean to!

"Thanks for spilling my secrets to this stranger Amora," I sighed, petting the leaf gently. I could not stay mad at my little pet for too long. Jacob, on the other hand, was not going to get off the hook so easily. Initially, I thought that Jacob would be the gentlemanly sort, but I guess as the saying goes, "Never judge a book by its cover."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Anyway," I muttered as I packed my baggage in preparation for my training course in the Garden of Hesperides. "Won't people notice my absence?"

Judging by the apprehensive expression I had plastered onto my face, he clarified, "A clone will take your place. It will have your memories, thoughts and characteristics instilled in it so no one will know." He assured.

Preparations were hastily settled and in short order, I was in my room with a tiny baggage in tow. Delicately, I positioned the shimmery leaf in the middle of my palm and closed my eyes, my mind focused on the place where I wanted to go.

A scintillating glow enveloped me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gaining consciousness, I was aware of hushed murmurings around me.

"Teleporting must have taken a toil on her," A familiar terse voice lipped. "She should have waited for me."

"It has been hours," A worried feminine voice spoke up. "My poor daughter."

When I finally found the energy to move, I stirred lightly and relieved gasps were heard. My eyes fluttering open, I saw my mother looking distressed and Jacob looking worried. Pushing myself upright and propping my back against a soft rounded pillow, my mother explained that Jacob had found me sprawled on the ground at the entrance of the land, and had brought me here, to my room in the palace.

"It's not everyday that Jacob has that frantic expression on his face," My mother said, causing Jacob to retort angrily that he was definitely not in the least worried.

"Thank you," I sincerely expressed my gratitude.

"It wasn't a big deal," He responded, crossing his arms and looking away. Was he embarrassed?

Feeling less woozy than before, I persuaded my mother to allow me to begin training straight away as I honestly wanted to increase my endurance.

"I really don't want to faint whenever I teleport," I reasoned. "If I can't even handle teleportation, how am I supposed to protect the kingdom?" After much cogitation, she finally agreed, but made Jacob promise to take care of me.

The training hall was conveniently located within the palace, its interior looking like a massive gym, just much more refined. Upon entering the hall, I was greeted by a statuesque muscular young man. His cheeks were chiseled like a finely-carved Michelangelo statue, his nose, perfectly symmetrical. His lips were slightly full - the kind that end in a cute little smirk at the corners. The light highlighted the dimples in his cheeks and chin. I had thought that none could compare to Jacob's looks. I guess I was wrong.

"Who is this puny weak human?" He chortled, glaring me up and down. That was unexpected.

"This is Princess Bella, and she will be training alongside you in the art of water manipulation." Jacob introduced, while Edward arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding me. I heard that she fainted just through teleporting. How do you expect her to fight?" He sneered.

"Just give her a chance, Edward," a resplendent lady appeared from behind him. She shot me a wide grin. "My name's Alice, and it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Sighing in resignation, he folded his arms and ushered me into a huge room that had a giant lagoon in it.

"In essence, water is something that sustains life. It's vitally important that you keep your composure while controlling it. Let it flow through you naturally," Edward described. "Watch this," With a look of serenity on his handsome face, he lifted up his right arm, and a glob of water from the lagoon we were standing next to followed suit, rising up into midair. With his other hand currently stretched out, he moulded the gob of water, giving it a definite shape of an arrow.

"Whoa," I awed, my eyes widening in amazement at this miracle.

"Try it," He ordered, letting the arrow splash back into the water body. "Just keep your mind clear and relax."

Taking a solid deep breath, I cleared my mind of all doubts and, similar to what Edward did earlier, lifted my right arm slowly with utter concentration. Slowly, yet gradually, a tiny glob of water separated itself distinctively from the sea of water.

"I did it!" I exclaimed in astonishment, and the glob of water fell back into the water. "Whoops..."

"Not bad for a beginner," Edward mentioned, an imperceptible grin on his face since his mentoring had paid off. "With practice, you'll be able to master water manipulation one day." As I grinned in pride, my eyes met his golden ones.

Abruptly, I felt self-conscious and started stuttering. "I-I'll be off now," I swiftly made my way out of the lagoon area, knocking into Jacob on the way to my room.

"What's with you?" He asked. Then he guffawed. "Your face is as red as your hair!"

I did not want to be the victim of his witty remarks at this juncture, so I pushed past him and went straight into my room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That girl... Bella... She is the pivotal object to all my plans... You must yield her faith, keep her close and become her intimate partner."

"I understand."


	4. Chapter 3

"So... How's training going so far?" Jacob asked, looking at how lethargic-looking I was. All I had was a hazy recollection of laborious and taxing physical groundwork with Edward. Even though today's training had wrapped up a couple hours ago, his roaring voice continually echoed in my ears.

"Don't even talk about it," I groaned, currently sprawled onto the bed and staring up at the ceiling, the recollection of laborious and taxing physical training from Edward coming to mind…

"_Can you even throw a punch properly?" Edward grumbled, stepping to the side and evading my blow effortlessly. Even though I had earnestly invested all my effort into this, everything just came to naught. I slumped to the ground in fatigue, driven to the point of tears. "Just look at how pathetic-looking you are."_

"_C-Could I… Take a b-break?" Wheezing uncontrollably, I looked pleadingly at my mentor. Sweat dotted my forehead, and I was pretty sure that I resembled a wet puppy in this current state._

"_No," Edward answered simply, not a single hint of concern in his voice. "Stand up. Now."_

"_I-I can't," Legs aching and numb from all the prior workouts, standing up was impossible._

_Edward, with a cynical smirk on his divine features, squatted down in front of me. "What a useless princess," he mused aloud. "How will your parents react if they find out that you are such an incompetent leader?" He chuckled darkly._

_For some peculiar reason, I found my hands balling into fists, my mouth quivering slightly. "Oh look," Edward mocked while pushing himself upright on his feet. "I see that the inept princess is angry."_

"_That's enough," I spouted, my pent up frustration bubbling to the surface. "I channeled all of my energy and effort into this, so you better stop complaining and be the 'good' mentor you are!" Slurring words that were incoherent came spewing out of my mouth in a paroxysm of anger. Seemingly possessed by some unseen force, I summoned the newfound strength, raising both hands and watching in a mix of awe and terror as I, unable to control myself, drew a massive globe of water and lobbed it towards a stupefied Edward. When he was completely submerged, my fingers bent inwards, causing a sheet of ice to gradually cover the surface of the globe, subsequently freezing the entire hunk of water with Edward in it._

"Ouch. That must have hurt," Jacob winced, bringing me out of my trance.

"Wait… Did I just say all of that out loud?" Apprehension clouded my voice. Jacob nodded in acknowledgment, an amused glint in his eyes. Placing my face into both hands, I groaned. "How embarrassing!"

"So Edward's still in the training hall?" he asked, bemused.

"I towed him to the fireplace," I answered, "I think the ice should have melted by now. "He's probably going to kill me." Just as I said this, cross-legged on the bed, Edward came storming in, his hair and clothes damp. "Eek!" I dug under the covers, intimidated by his presence.

"You have some guts, Bella Miller," Edward pronounced, every word articulated smoothly, like how a cheetah awaits elegantly in the grass before pouncing on an unsuspecting prey. Still hiding, I took a little peek from a gap to see Jacob wink at me before excusing himself from the room. _All the best, _he mouthed imperceptibly. That betrayer! The eerie echo of the closing door caused a shiver to run down my spine. "Come out from under the covers now."

"A-Are you going to kill me?" I enquired softly, staring at his calm and composed expression. Sauntering over towards me, he clicked his tongue and plopped himself onto the bed, poking my hips incessantly, causing me to squirm and wiggle out of the way and smack my head onto the bed frame with a thud.

"Hey are you all right?" Edward's eyes widened as he stalked even nearer to me and caressed the discolored bruise that was forming at the back of my head.

Feeling utterly uncomfortable with the sudden proximity between us, I shrugged, ignoring the throbbing pain as I assured him, saying, "Don't worry, I'm totally fine." Meeting his golden eyes, I could have sworn that my heart stuttered by a few beats. "J-Edward."

"Sorry to intrude," Jacob burst in with a frantic expression on his face. "The Garden's under attack."

"By whom?" Edward's tone turned solemn, shifting his gaze away from me.

"The Crawlers," Jacob responded, not missing a beat. "The King and Queen have sent out the elite soldiers to facilitate with the evacuation of the citizens, but they are making their way to the Palace."

Edward hopped up from the bed and landed on the soft carpet that laid the foundation of my room. "I'll settle this. In the meantime," He turned to me. "Stay here."

"Hold up," I crawled hastily out of bed. "Why can't I join the fight?"

"It's not safe for you, a rookie trainee. Besides, you tired yourself out just now," Edward clipped.

"He's right," the blond agreed, following him out and leaving me behind by my lonesome self.

Grunting under my breath, I strode back onto my bed, flipping a book on the history of the Gardens of Hesperides. Engrossed by its vast history, sudden tremors could be felt close by. Wanting to see what the commotion was about, I walked over to the window, immediately tossed into hysteria. Just outside, where a lush balcony used to be, was a colossal-sized being that took the form of a grotesque black spider, it's beady eyes fixated onto my helpless self. Rooted to the ground, the spider-like organism (let us just call him Bob for the time-being) stretched out a stick-like limb and smashed the window – the only protection between me and the monstrosity. Stray shards of glass sliced the surface of my skin, causing me to snap back to reality.

For some reason, I managed to garner my courage and sprint towards the one place I knew best – the lagoon. Thankfully, it was in the vicinity so it reduced the risk of others getting harmed. Using the extra time that Bob had to spend fully breaking the window to make his grand entrance, I rushed to the lagoon without looking back.

Though the route took only mere seconds, it seemed like an eternity. My t-shirt drenched by cold sweat, I scampered to the wall farthest away from the training doors. "Anytime now," my chest heaved up and down at a fast pace as I took a stance I was now fairly familiar with.

It all happened so quickly. The entrance to the training hall burst, the debris shrouding the monster I had no affiliation with. Only now, as Bob's teeth crunched menacingly, did I realize how dangerous my position was. _Be brave, _I told myself. _You can do this._

Summoning globs of water from the lagoon, I bombarded them at Bob mercilessly, freezing them once they had made contact with it. It screeched brutally in my ears, raising a leg in an attempt to slash away at me, but I hopped up just in time. My semi-conscious mind reminded me to thank Edward for teaching me this move the exact morning. _That's only if you manage to live long enough, _I told myself.

The pattern repeated itself over and over again – Throwing and freezing the water globs until finally, Bob was completely covered by ice. All the energy drained from my sentience, I slumped onto the ground, my back supported by the wall behind. Thinking that everything would be all right was too naïve of me. "I did it," I heaved a triumphant sigh before realizing that something was really wrong – I could no longer hear myself. Trembling at the unfamiliar silence, I watched in added horror as a crack formed and slid down from Bob's ice sculpture. Bursting out of captivity, it inched towards me in an exaggeratingly slow manner, as though it took pleasure from seeing me petrified.

As Bob closed the gap between us, I closed my eyes, giving up on all hope. I guess the rumors about your life flashing before your eyes before death were true. Literally smelling the putrid breath of Bob on my face. Waiting for the pain to set in, it came as a surprise when it nothing happened. Startled, my eyes shot open to see Bob splayed on the ground, with around seven to ten arrows piercing its back.

Jacob and Edward appeared from behind, Jacob having a worried look on his face while Edward remained deadpanned. Rushing over to my side immediately, he started mouthing words that I could not comprehend in my state. Edward, noticing my lack of response, trudged over and said something to Jacob. The latter finally understood my plight and reached out for my hands, encasing them in a firm and protective gesture.

"Don't worry," He mouthed slowly. I nodded, a tear sliding down my cheek from the trauma. Unable to fight the fatigue any longer, I succumbed to a well-deserved slumber.


	5. Chapter 4

Glancing at Bella's sleeping form, Edward felt a twinge of guilt for leaving her unprotected while he went off to fight the Crawlers. The fact that she managed to hold it off long enough for us to return was commendable, he brooded before leaving to sharpen his weapons. It mattered not how skillful one was in water manipulation - Should there be a situation that occurs in the absence of a water body, it would be bad news for someone who did not know the basic groundwork.

"Alice," Edward called out to the descendant of Athena. Her light golden brown curls cascaded down her shoulders and above her torso, much neater than Bella's flame-red fizzes. Why he even made this comparison in his head was a mystery. "Do you have any rookie-friendly weapons I could borrow?"

"Rookie-friendly?" Her bubbly voice was laced with inquisitive vibes. "For Bella?" Nodding, she furrowed her eyebrows. "You do know that she is currently recovering from the trauma of a Crawler. Also, she's temporarily deaf. Are you really so heartless as to make her continue training?"

"Yes," Edward answered without hesitation. "She has to learn how to adapt to harsh circumstances. It'd do her good in the long run." He reasoned, crossing his arms over his chest. Knowing that no amount of debate would change his line of thinking, Alice sighed and scouted for a suitable weapon.

-

Bella awoke to the brilliant sunlight streaming in from the open window, the curtains swaying calmly with the breeze. Shrouded by silence, she turned away from the light and saw that a porcelain bowl of piping hot porridge and a small whiteboard with scrawled handwriting rested neatly on her bedside table. Picking up the whiteboard, she read what was written on it:

**Use this to communicate for the time being. If the porridge gets cold, tell Alice to heat it up. I have to go settle some matters with the King so I'll be back late. Take care. -Jacob******

Gingerly, she placed it back onto the table faced-up and proceeded to eat, all the while contemplating on when she would get her hearing back. Caught unaware by the sudden appearance of a figure in front of her, Bella let go of the bowl, its scalding contents nearly burning her had a large hand not prevented it from doing so. She looked up to see that Edward was towering over her, the bowl in his hands.

Seeing the whiteboard on the table, Edward set the bowl down and scribbled some words on it.

**Training will commence shortly. Once you're done eating, meet me in the training hall******

With a quizzical look on her face, Bella grabbed the whiteboard and wrote:

**Didn't the Crawler destroy the room?******

Edward nodded before scribbling:

**Training will be much more effective this way******

In acquiescence to his logic, Bella sat up and changed into training attire while Edward made his way out of the room.

The room was enveloped with debris, causing Bella to sneeze. Rubbing her nose, she shot a questioning glance at Edward, who brandished a long wooden dagger and held it in front of him for Bella to yield.

His hypothesis was proven to be accurate - Indeed, as Bella had to rely on her other senses since her ears were handicapped, her eyesight was heightened and she was able to act quickly when required to.

-

"It's not going well," Jacob muttered, a mysterious dark blue mist swirling at their feet. "She's getting closer to Edward."

Cackling, a woman wearing a black cloak came into view, her oak-brown hair tied into a neat bun. "That's nothing to worry about."

"What am I supposed to do that?" Jacob asked incredulously, watching as she handed him aromatic oil. "Burn it, and show her Edward's past."


	6. Chapter 5

Training had been tough, but it was much better than staying cooped up in my room depressed and sullen.

**Hey, I need to talk to you about something******

Jacob scrawled on the whiteboard. With hesitation clear on his face, he rubbed off the words he wrote and scribbled more.

**Steer clear of Edward. You deserve to know of his past. It's not safe for you to be around him******

What was going on? I watched as Jacob reached into his pocket to reveal  
aromatic oil.

He proceeded to burn the oil, filling the air with a sweet scent. Soon enough, I slumped back onto the soft bed, intoxicated.

As my vision languidly faded to black, I saw a figure towering over me.

At the spur of the moment, I found myself lying faced down on a frosty, grey flooring. Failing to get up, I realized that I was fettered to the ground by chunky chains of steel. My subconscious mind advised me that struggling would guilelessly be a waste of time. Elevating my head, a familiar figure came into view.

"Who... who are you?" Laced with panic, I realized that I had regained my hearing.

"Oh... how could you not know?" scoffed the figure.

I felt my hopes being lifted. I know that voice!

The figure sauntered into the eerie grey light encompassing the entire area.

Sure enough, it was him.

Edward.

He walked airily towards my direction, lithe and elegantly yet treacherous. Like a hungry lion, its muscles ready to spring on its prey. He seized my chin in a rough manner and pulled me to face him.

"You should remember me all too well now," he spat venomously.

Then with a snicker, a large dagger appeared in his hand.

With a high-pitched screech coming out from my chest, down came his hand.

"Bella! Are you alright?"

"Huh?"

My vision, which was slightly blurry at first, slowly started to clear. I saw a worried face looking over me, but it was the face of...

"Edward! Get away from me!" I yelped, my eyes widened in beta noire, scrambling to the other corner of the bed in panic.

"Calm down!" He shouted, his eyes, widened as well in shock due to my reaction. Impulsively, he grabbed and drew me into a tight hug. It was a strange feeling. Wrapped in his warm embrace, I instinctively closed my eyes, feeling safe and comfortable as though I were in a perfect dream. My prior fears faded away and a calm feeling remained in the depths of my heart. "Shh... Did you have a nightmare?"

Despite the fact that I was eighteen years old, I wailed into the Edward's arms, feeling only the slightest sense of guilt when it registered to me that my tears would dampen his green t-shirt. Rendered speechless, he merely patted my back soothingly, muttering something like, "It's okay."

"Were you a rebel in the past?" I found the voice to ask meekly.

"H-How did you know?" Edward stammered, visible shock apparent on his usual expressionless features.

"Jacob told me," I answered.

Edward sighed and took a seat on the bed as he explained, his face stone-cold.

"When I was young, a group of Crawlers infiltrated the city and destroyed everything in their path. I lost my mother at that time. My mind was tormented by images of the Crawler tearing her flesh apart... It was horrible. Immediately, I signed up for the soldier program the palace has, always feeling guilty for my weakness to not protect my mother. The Crawlers rarely appear, but I waited. However, as time passed, my frustration snowballed, and sadistic methods to torture the prisoners was a platform to vent."

As I listened attentively, he smiled genuine. "You taught me what it means to be strong."

I could not have been more blithesome to know that THIS was the Edward I knew. It did not matter to me that he had such a murderous or sadistic past, but why harp on it when I was now living in the present?

-

"Congratulations. You have failed me twice in a row. First, you help Bella regain her hearing. Second, she accepts him for who he is," Rolling her eyes, Jacob's aunt sauntered over to him, giving him a tight slap. "We'll proceed with Plan B. If you fail me again... Don't blame me for being cruel."

-

"What's with that dumb expression on your face?" Edward asked. We were now back in the human world, as the King and Queen saw the importance of education. Jacob had to attend to some external affairs so he could not accompany me.

"Why in the world are you wearing that?" I demanded. Having just woken up, I was met by a Edward who was wearing the male version of my school's uniform.

"I'm your trainer. It's my duty to protect you," he replied, as though it were something perfectly normal and natural.

Combing my disheveled bed hair lazily, I continued, "How did you even enroll at such short notice?"

He smirked, "I pulled some strings."

"Please tell me you didn't kill anyone," I said with a deadpan expression, setting the comb down on the table and proceeding into the bathroom to change into my school uniform.

He answered through the door, "Maybe I did."

"Just like you, I have my own abilities. Don't worry, no one will suspect a thing," He immediately continued before I could call the cops. After stepping out of the bathroom, he came towards me and said, "Before I forget," Placing his index finger on my forehead, he instructed me to close my eyes, to which I complied.

"Your clone's memories, which includes whatever you missed out during your absence." Exerting a little pressure on my forehead, vivid images resurfaced in my mind. Things my clone said or did were ingrained into me, as though it were me who experienced all those things.

"I... I scored full marks for my algebra test?"

"To be precise, your clone did," Edward corrected, folding his arms. "And before you ask, no, I will not allow your clone to take your place for exams. Wouldn't want a nutcase for a princess, right?"

Mentally sighing, I knew that what he said made sense.

"Fine fine," I surrendered.

"Let's go. Leah and David are fetching us today," He spoke, glancing at the clock.

"Leah and D- Wait a moment! You mean they know that you're here?" I almost shrieked.

"You underestimate my abilities," He clicked his tongue. "They think that I'm a transfer student.

-

"Is Edward single?" Kayla, one of my good friends in Lucent Academy, asked as she longingly glanced at Edward, who was currently ordering food form the school cafeteria.

"I guess so," I replied, slurping up some soda. "Why?" I arched an inquisitive eyebrow, urging her to continue.

"I think I've experienced love at first sight," she gushed, as Edward settled down his tray of food on our table. Her statement reduced me to a coughing fit.

"What's going on?" Edward asked, taking a seat opposite me, next to Kayla.

"N-nothing at all!" Kayla stuttered. Scooting closer to him, she asked, "Want to hang out sometime?"

"Sure," Edward responded indifferently. They started having a light conversation (that consisted mostly of Kayla yapping on and Edward's one-word answers). Batting her eyelashes at him and making that cute little girly laugh she always did around guys, a strange feeling surged through me.

Anger and insecurities swirled like a red tide within me, rising to choke me. My breath became harsh and shallow, my hands automatically curling into fists at my sides, itching to swing out and put a dent in the wall beside me. Was this... Jealousy? I shoved the idea down brutally. Edward could talk with whoever he wanted to. I had no claim on him.

"I'll be going back to class now," I muttered, grabbing my tray and leaving the table. Edward looked as though he was going to follow me, but Kayla started talking to him again, so he stayed put.

"Hey Red, going somewhere?" Zach smirked, his clique of notorious buddies surrounding me while I was in the corridor.

"Please," I quipped, attempting to push past them. "Please leave me alone." They did not budge.

"Whoops, my hand slipped," Zach mocked, purposefully splattering tomato sauce onto my hair. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Get away from her!" Edward's voice echoed throughout the hallway, making Zach and his buddies pause for a moment.

"You ought to be thanking me. I think I made her hair look better," he smugly commented, undeterred by the fierce look Edward was giving him.

"You little - "

"Gentlemen," a voice of authority spoke. The Disciplinary Master, Madame Yvonne, stepped in front of the boys. A tiny crowd had started to form. "I'd like to see Zach in my office. Now."

"But Madame, he started it!" Zach defended, pointing an accusing finger at Edward.

"I know what I saw," Madame Yvonne rebuked. "To the office, Zach."

As Zach was towed away to the office, the crowd dissipated and I immersed myself in the crowd, in an attempt to avoid Edward. Making an excuse that I was not feeling well, I skipped class and hid in the toilet, trying to get the sauce out of my hair.

"Need my help?" Edward appeared beside me, giving me the shock of my life.

"This is the girls toilet, mind you!" I scolded, pushing him out of the toilet with both hands.

"There's something off about you today," He remarked, grabbing hold of my hands. "Tell me what happened."

"Nothing. But... Could you have a clone replace me today? I want to go to Hesperides." I implored.

Despite dubiousness clouding his eyes, he complied. "I'll settle things here for now. Take care."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The tranquil zephyrs wreathed my soiled fuzzy curls. Sitting at the corner of the balcony, I hoped that my jumbled thoughts would conciliate. Even when the depths of darkness had shadowed, I still felt lost.

"Something bothering you?" A voice called from below. Glancing down, my eyes met Jacob's warm ones. "You seem troubled."

"As a matter of fact, I am," I confided, looking downcast.

"Then come with me. Let me show you something," He suggested, and I leapt down from the balcony onto the soft grass below.

Guiding me down a path lit naturally by the full moon, Jacob brought me to a beauteous and yet quiescent cavern. The sound of water droplets falling from the crevices could be heard and it calmed me down immensely.

"Bella, there's something I wish to tell you," He suddenly said, causing me to turn around and face him. His eyes darkened slightly as he closed the distance between us. What in the world is hap-

My thoughts were cut short by a pair of luscious lips atop mine. My mind took some time to register what was occurring at this point of time. Jacob was kissing me? I remember the times when my thoughts would flitter around aimlessly and that I had actually thought about how it would be like to kiss Jacob. Unexpectedly, it felt so wrong. Something did not fit. My hands moved to his chin, desperately wanting to know what was off. And then it clicked.

"RIP" - I tore a layer of plastic off his cheek.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Jacob bellowed, grabbing my neck and lifting me up easily, strangling me. Losing consciousness, I whispered the first and last thing that came to my mind.

"Edward,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pounding of my head was killing me. Rising to my feet, I saw a humongous beast meandering towards me. In my clouded vision, I came to the sudden realization that all around me were columns of turbulent maelstroms of water.

"S-Stay back,"

In the dim light, the coat of the varmint exposed itself to be a mishmash of flesh sewn together. With every heavy-footed movement, the flesh along the seams were stretched and yanked - a repulsive sight to behold.

The stench of it, the putrid smell of decomposition, permeated in the air.

"Is that a trepidation of terror I detect in your voice, my dear Bella?"

Those eyes. That voice, even though it has become coarse. They belonged to Jacob. Unable to find voice to respond, the beast chuckled maliciously.

"K-Jacob?" I choked out, unable to believe my eyes.

"Yes?" The beast answered with a heinous smirk on his face. He then contorted into the form of the beautiful human I had been captivated by, except that flesh could be seen at his cheek area where I had torn it off earlier.

Using his non-beastly size to my advantage, I swiftly shot ice shards at him. Though he was caught unaware for a moment, he morphed back into the beast in a split second.

"You've got guts," The beast took a few impetuous strides forward before springing directly at me, causing me to jump back instinctively.

KDOOOSH!

I opened my mouth in shock, but seawater immediately rushed into my throat and cascaded down into my lungs.

"Glug... Grrgll..." At once, the beast is upon me, its claws raking me down. Water fills my lungs. My vision lurches, then dims, and just as the world shrinks to a ripping pinprick -

-WHAM! I felt my body lurch. I found myself in a dark stone room that looked eerily like a dungeon.

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice reverberating through the walls I was enclosed in.

"Hello, my beloved Bella," A sickly sacchariferous tone whispered in my ear. A woman wearing a black cloak came into view. "I saved you from that filthy beast."

"T-Thank you," I was at a loss for words. My dress was damp and it was evidence of the frightful encounter. "Who are you?"

"I'm your aunt," She answered, beckoning me to sit down in front of a gigantic cauldron. Following her instructions, I sat down as she continued to speak. "I know that you originally did not belong here, so I was wondering if you'd like to lead the life you've always wanted to instead."

Looking at my puzzled expression, she chuckled gently. "I can make you a normal, average human," her sickly sweet voice cackled in my ear. "No one would ever ostracize you. No one would make fun of you. You'll be able to be genuinely happy." She sashayed over to her cauldron that was now bubbling with green ooze with purple fumes spewing out of it ominously.

A mist surrounded me and I found myself growing tired by the second.

"That's right, dear. Sleep," her voice faded into the back of my mind...


	7. Chapter 6

"Bella, wake up!" a feminine's uneasy voice compelled me to rouse and open my eyes. Kayla? When did I come back? As my eyes focused, I saw Kayla peering down at me, her face pale with worry. "You fainted in the canteen just now, so Zach carried you here," Zach? The guy who bullied me through my years in Lucent Academy? My fingers twitched, coming into contact with something soft, like a mattress. I must be in the school's sickbay, I deduced. Sitting up, I still felt a little light-headed, so I ran my fingers through my -

"Huh? Black hair?" Stupefied at the apparent black curls that cascaded down my shoulders, and rendered flabbergasted at my lack of the clipped accent I was so used to, I glanced frantically at Kayla, pleading for a logical explanation.

Instead, she looked bewildered as she clarified, "What are you talking about, Des? Your hair has always been black. Are you alright? Shall I call for the nurse?"

I shook my head fervently."It's okay. Let's go," With a smile plastered onto my face, I assured Kayla that I was totally fine and we made our way to the canteen.

Grabbing something light to eat due to my lack of appetite from all the drama that had taken place today, I saw Zach stride towards us. Petrified, I tugged at Kayla's sleeve, hinting to her that we should make a move. To my utmost surprise and horror, she merely waved at the infamous bully in a friendly manner. What in the world?!

"Hey guys," Zach greeted us amicably. "Bella, are you feeling better?" His eyes filled with apprehension, it was difficult to acknowledge the fact that this person was the one who made my school life a living purgatory.

"Yeah. Thanks for bringing me to the sickbay," I nodded and answered politely.

"No problem," Zach blushed and he rubbed the back of his ear. I have definitely not seen this coming. "I'll see you both sometime later then?"

"Yeah sure!" Kayla agreed without much thought.

Time in school passed by in a fizzy blur, and things were going smoothly - too smoothly. Nobody made snide comments about me and they were pretty nice, especially Zach. It was exactly how I craved for school life to be. It was perfect.

However, something or someone was missing from this perfect world. I just could not put a finger on it...

**No, Bella. Don't think about it. Aren't you enjoying the life you're leading now? You can stay here forever. **A sickly sweet voice in my mind blared.

Even though I wanted to obey the voice, something was yanking me away. Someone was waiting for me. His name was J...

**Stop**.

Edward…

**STOP. STOP THINKING AND BE CONTENT WITH THIS LIFE!******

Edward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Edward!" My eyes fluttered open, but I was met with darkness. Was I blindfolded? Unable to move, I presumed that I was bound to a chair, since I was in a sedentary position.

Memories of what occurred flooded back to me.

"You impudent girl! You ruined my plans!" The black-cloaked woman berated in a deafening voice. "You were supposed to sleep forever!" She slapped me, the force of the hit making me fall backwards and hitting my head against the ground, causing me to yelp in pain.

"I do not want to live in a world without Edward!" I vociferated. My blindfolds were ripped off and my aunt glared venomously at me, her eyes burning from sheer outrage. Something red and thick was flowing down the sides of my face, and I presumed that it was blood. Growing weaker by the minute, my vision grew cloudy as she continued.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edward's POV

"I wonder what that sound was," I speculated, trudging down the spiral staircase leading to the basement where I had heard a deafening thud. My hand at the doorknob, I heard my mother's voice emanating from the keyhole.

"This was not the plan. I was supposed to make Edward the crowned prince of the land! If only if you weren't here... I should have killed you sooner rather than sending you away."

"What's going on?" I slammed the door open to see Bella lying unconscious in a pool of her own blood and my mother staring at me wide-eyed. "Explain yourself, mother." My mother, with a faultless look on her face, came towards me and held my cheek within her palm.

"My dear Edward, I was just removing the one thing that was keeping you from the throne," she murmured, caressing my cheek. "You should thank me."

Prying her hand away from my face, I venomously spat, "I never wanted the throne! You were the one with your selfish desire for power! She's your niece, for crying out loud! You took dad, someone important from my life, away, and you're going to do it again?"

Wielding a knife in her hands, my mother, with a facial expression of pure repugnance, inched her way to Bella's form. "I don't care."

"You leave me with no choice," I muttered, my arms raised, energy coursing through my veins. "I'm sorry, mother."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wasting no time, I rushed to Bella's side and did my best to patch up her wounds using the techniques that Merle had taught me a few weeks before in the case of emergency. Sweat beads forming on my forehead, I continued working on her, trying not to panic even after the realization that she had indeed lost a great deal of blood.

"Bella," I whispered, seeing that she had stirred slightly. Her eyes fluttered open just a teeny bit.

"Edward?" My heart sank as I heard her weak whine, lacking of stamina. "I'm tired.

My eyebrows creased with worry, I answered softly, "You're safe now. You can rest if you want to."I twirled a strand of her red hair between my fingers as she fell into a deep slumber.


	8. Chapter 7 (Epilogue)

Spending the next few days in my room to recuperate from the trauma and the wounds, I contemplated about many things, ranging from what to have for lunch and how I should face Edward from now onwards. Now that our feelings had been confirmed to be mutual and that Edward had somehow persuaded his mother to leave and never return, you might think that everything's smooth sailing. Unfortunately, the damage had been done and all I could feel now was waves and waves of guilt.

If I had not existed as the Princess of the Gardens, Edward's mother would not have been forced to spend all her days plotting to get rid of me to make him sit atop the throne. It was difficult to even look him in the eye anymore.

"Bella," Edward tried to make a conversation, his usual monotonous and uncaring voice in play. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope, nothing at all!" I replied gleefully, plastering a smile onto my face. "I-I should get going, I think Merle's calling for me." Turning on my heel, I sauntered forward before I felt Edward grab me.

"Look at me," He implored, his voice filled with helplessness. Biting my lower lip, I took a hasty intake of breath and face him, entrapped in his passionate gaze. "You feel guilty because of my mother right?"

Having no reason to lie, I nodded.

He wrapped me in his arms. "What happened isn't your fault." His breath tickled my ears.

"I... I need some to digest everything that has happened," I pushed myself away from his embrace, running back to my room.

"No matter how long it takes, I'll make you open up to me again," Edward promised, too soft for me to hear. But I knew. One day, I'll be able to let go of the chains of doubt and bravely confess my burgeoning feelings for him.


	9. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! Thanks for reading this story :p I do admit that there is a lot of space for improvement, but I really hope that you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)**

**If you have any plot recommendations or any constructive feedback on how I can improve on my stories, please feel free to send me a message and I'll be most willing to hear what you have to say ^o^**

**So... I'm more active on Wattpad, since the worry of going OOC is negligible there~ Do check out my other stories on Wattpad: user/ScarletNightmares**

**Have a great day!~~**


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